The invention relates to an observation system and to an observation method wherein an object to be viewed may have additional image information superimposed thereon for a viewer.
Such superposition may be effected, for example, electronically by recording the object to be viewed by means of a camera. The image data generated by means of the camera are mixed in a computer with the image data to be superimposed and are then supplied to a viewer by means of a display. However, this has the disadvantage that direct viewing is no longer possible for the viewer. The viewer can no longer perceive his environment directly himself, which clearly affects his orientation in a disadvantageous way.
Further, optical mixing is known wherein the object to be viewed, on the one hand, and the image information to be superimposed (augmented part) from a display unit, on the other hand, are superimposed by a splitter mirror or a splitter cube, respectively. This is usually effected such that both of the images to be superimposed are located in pupil planes. Therefore, there is no topological relation of the augmented part relative to the real object. Further, superposition is effected due to there being optical transparency (by means of the splitter cube or splitter mirror, respectively) for the viewer over the entire image surface. Thus, the entire area of the augmented part is superimposed on the real scene, wherein transparency can be only indirectly adjusted by changing the brightness of the real object (for example, by means of stops) as well as of the augmented part (by varying the brightness of the display).
In view thereof, it is an object of the invention to provide an observation system and an observation method using which the possibilities of superimposing further image information on a perceivable real object are improved and made more flexible.